AUSTIN | Projects & Construction III

[Dariusb]

Originally Posted by The ATX

I wasn't referring to any link, but that's OK. Maybe Dariusb was referring to my signature.

Sorry, lol! A lot of good info on projects nonetheless.

[KevinFromTexas]

The site plan was posted for The Travis development at 80 Rainey Street, and for the first time, we have a better understanding of the heights.

ftp://ftp.ci.austin.tx.us/ATD_AULCC/...SS_PLAN_03.pdf

Phase I will be a 594 foot tower with 52 floors of condos.

Phase II will be a 704 foot tower with 60 floors of condos and a hotel.

This is Austin's third tallest proposal. 6 X Guadalupe is proposed at 848 feet with 65 floors and The Republic is proposed at 708 feet with 46 floors.

[JAYNYC]

Originally Posted by KevinFromTexas

The site plan was posted for The Travis development at 80 Rainey Street, and for the first time, we have a better understanding of the heights.

ftp://ftp.ci.austin.tx.us/ATD_AULCC/...SS_PLAN_03.pdf

Phase I will be a 594 foot tower with 50 floors of condos.

Phase II will be a 704 foot tower with 60 floors of condos and a hotel.

This is Austin's third tallest proposal. 6 X Guadalupe is proposed at 848 feet with 65 floors and The Republic is proposed at 708 feet with 46 floors.

If approved, what would be the estimated completion dates of each of those 4 buildings?

[KevinFromTexas]

I'm not sure, but the other two projects are moving through the development process and should be close to approval. The office occupancy rate in Austin right now is insanely high at 99 percent. So, I would imagine The Republic and 6 X Guadalupe would be a sure thing since both of them have office space. The Republic is all office while 6 X Guadalupe is office and condos. The Republic block is just a surface parking lot. So there would be little demolition to do to get started. The 6 X Guadalupe block has a small 4-story hotel on its block that is slated for demo.

[JAYNYC]

Originally Posted by KevinFromTexas

I'm not sure, but the other two projects are moving through the development process and should be close to approval. The office occupancy rate in Austin right now is insanely high at 99 percent. So, I would imagine The Republic and 6 X Guadalupe would be a sure thing since both of them have office space. The Republic is all office while 6 X Guadalupe is office and condos. The Republic block is just a surface parking lot. So there would be little demolition to do to get started. The 6 X Guadalupe block has a small 4-story hotel on its block that is slated for demo.

Man. I've said it here before and I'll say it again - what's happened in Austin high-rise construction-wise (a complete transformation) between 2000 and 2019 compared to what's happened in San Antonio high-rise construction-wise (essentially nothing) between the same period is truly mind-boggling.

[AviationGuy]

Originally Posted by JAYNYC

Man. I've said it here before and I'll say it again - what's happened high-rise construction-wise (a complete transformation) in Austin between 2000 and 2019 compared to what's happened in San Antonio high-rise construction-wise (essentially nothing) during the same period is truly mind-boggling.

Austin is just mind boggling all around. I just got my 2019 tax assessment for my home in north central Austin and it's just over the top. I had hoped to sell and move, but am now looking at this property as being retirement security due to the continued appreciation. There's always a risk of a housing recession at some point, but my house is paid off. I would be concerned if I were buying in this location right now, though.

I had to make a trip down to south Austin today, and coming back a 2 p.m., both sides of Mopac were virtually at a standstill all the way from the river north to 38th. It wasn't a fluke because I've seen it that way many times. It's just crazy. Everywhere I go it's crowds of people and traffic. And with our lack of good mass transit, it will only get a lot worse. I don't hear newcomers complain much, probably because it's worse where they came from. I don't know for sure.

[The ATX]

Originally Posted by AviationGuy

I don't hear newcomers complain much, probably because it's worse where they came from. I don't know for sure.

Same here. The only people I hear complaining are people like me who have been here long enough to have noticed the drastic increase in congestion.
But I have actually had a visitor from out of state laugh hysterically while riding with me because the traffic (both the quantity and quality of the drivers) is bizarrely insane at times.

[KevinFromTexas]

There's never been a time in Austin's history before where we had 3 buildings under construction over 500 feet tall. Not even 2 over that height before. And we've never had a time before when we had 3 proposed over 700 feet, plus a handful of others around and above the 600 foot mark. This skyscraper boom is truly historic. Even if these projects don't get built the scope of the proposals has been unreal.

Several key blocks are also up for redevelopment where we could see several more big towers (over 700 feet) since they sit outside of the capitol view corridors. I would think at least 5 of them could be contenders for something big.

We also have 14 buildings over 300 feet either in site prep or in some stage of construction (not counting proposed). That's out of the total of 30 buildings in that height range that we have completed at the moment.

[JAYNYC]

Originally Posted by KevinFromTexas

There's never been a time in Austin's history before where we had 3 buildings under construction over 500 feet tall. Not even 2 over that height before. And we've never had a time before when we had 3 proposed over 700 feet, plus a handful of others around and above the 600 foot mark. This skyscraper boom is truly historic. Even if these projects don't get built the scope of the proposals has been unreal.

Several key blocks are also up for redevelopment where we could see several more big towers (over 700 feet) since they sit outside of the capitol view corridors. I would think at least 5 of them could be contenders for something big.

We also have 14 buildings over 300 feet either in site prep or in some stage of construction (not counting proposed). That's out of the total of 30 buildings in that height range that we have completed at the moment.

Yes, all of this is very cool.

But what's more unreal to me is how, meanwhile, 65 miles down I-35, in the larger city/metro, tower proposals & construction = CRICKETS.

So, so bizarre. Get it together, San Antonio!

[AviationGuy]

Originally Posted by KevinFromTexas

There's never been a time in Austin's history before where we had 3 buildings under construction over 500 feet tall. Not even 2 over that height before. And we've never had a time before when we had 3 proposed over 700 feet, plus a handful of others around and above the 600 foot mark. This skyscraper boom is truly historic. Even if these projects don't get built the scope of the proposals has been unreal.

Several key blocks are also up for redevelopment where we could see several more big towers (over 700 feet) since they sit outside of the capitol view corridors. I would think at least 5 of them could be contenders for something big.

We also have 14 buildings over 300 feet either in site prep or in some stage of construction (not counting proposed). That's out of the total of 30 buildings in that height range that we have completed at the moment.

I'm already finding Austin's riverfront skyline to be more impressive than Houston's or Dallas'. It's the way it's coming together. It's stunning, and so different from anywhere else in the country. It doesn't even look American to me. Can't explain why, though.

[N90]

Because the overwhelming majority of Austin's skyline is newer stuff and condos/apts. From most angles of the skyline you only see the towers built after year 2000 and the skyline has more residential buildings than office. In other US metros around Austin's size like Baltimore, St. Louis, Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Cincinnati, Charlotte, Orlando, Sacramento, San Antonio, San Jose, Indianapolis, Columbus you either have too much visible old bones in the skyline or too many office buildings dominating the skyline without much of a residential component.

Austin's skyline is more similar in both growth and architecture style to Canadian and Aussie skylines.

[JAYNYC]

Originally Posted by N90

Because the overwhelming majority of Austin's skyline is newer stuff and condos/apts. From most angles of the skyline you only see the towers built after year 2000 and the skyline has more residential buildings than office. In other US metros around Austin's size like Baltimore, St. Louis, Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Cincinnati, Charlotte, Orlando, Sacramento, San Antonio, San Jose, Indianapolis, Columbus you either have too much visible old bones in the skyline or too many office buildings dominating the skyline without much of a residential component.

Austin's skyline is more similar in both growth and architecture style to Canadian and Aussie skylines.

Miami's skyline is also overwhelmingly residential.

[NYC2ATX]

Originally Posted by N90

Austin's skyline is more similar in both growth and architecture style to Canadian and Aussie skylines.

Funny you say this, for years I've always compared Austin visually to Brisbane, because of the way both cities' skylines sort of hug and follow the contours of their respective rivers.

Originally Posted by JAYNYC

Miami's skyline is also overwhelmingly residential.

Incidentally, I think many agree that Miami also doesn't look like other American cities, and has more in common with the skylines of Latin America.

[The ATX]

We have at least 11 tower proposals (two are U/C) that are between 500' and 850'. I hope they all (or at least most of them) get built. The skyline will look significantly better at that point.

[SLO]

Originally Posted by The ATX

We have at least 11 tower proposals (two are U/C) that are between 500' and 850'. I hope they all (or at least most of them) get built. The skyline will look significantly better at that point.

You're getting greedy dude...

[clubtokyo]

[QUOTE=

Austin's skyline is more similar in both growth and architecture style to Canadian and Aussie skylines.[/QUOTE]

Agree! Our skyline reminds me of Canada skylines.

[Dariusb]

Austin may not have the most towers but it's quickly becoming my favorite skyline in Texas.

[KevinFromTexas]

https://www.kxan.com/news/local/aust...HV6HFSvILnBfmk

What you see in downtown Austin is only about half of its development capacity

by:
Yoojin Cho
Posted: Apr 30, 2019 / 04:50 PM CDT / Updated: Apr 30, 2019 / 04:50 PM CDT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Downtown Austin Alliance's first-ever State of Downtown report found that "with current zoning and pace of development," what you see developed in Austin's downtown right now is only just over half of its development capacity.

A snapshot of downtown's growth showed:

26 projects under construction. They can be broken down into:
3,017 residential units
2,040 hotel rooms
12,632 sq. ft. of restaurant
148,832 sq. ft. of retail

32 projects planned:
3,370 residential units
930 hotel rooms
44,736 sq. ft. of restaurant
166,181 sq. ft. of retail

[JAYNYC]

Originally Posted by KevinFromTexas

https://www.kxan.com/news/local/aust...HV6HFSvILnBfmk

So no office space U/C or proposed? All residential, hotel, restaurant and retail? Seems strange.

[The ATX]

Originally Posted by JAYNYC

So no office space U/C or proposed? All residential, hotel, restaurant and retail? Seems strange.

There is a lot more office space U/C and in development than usual for downtown Austin, so it's a mystery why they left that off the list. But local news reports on development are typically wrong about a lot of things. It's the SSP posters who notice that and not the general public.